Barclaycard reports rise in travel agent spending
Spending in travel agencies rose just under 10% in July, according to the latest figures from Barclaycard.
There was a 7.7% year-on-year rise in spending in high street agencies and an even higher rise of 11.7% online.
Meanwhile, spending on air travel rose 4.2% and on hotels by 3.6%.
There was a dip of 2.3%, however, in spending on tourist attractions.
Overall, consumer spending rose 5% year-on-year in July, marking the third consecutive month of growth of 5% or more.
It was also the strongest three-month period since Barclaycard began measuring spend data in 2014.
Barclaycard said consumers have been keen to take advantage of the sunshine, with almost a quarter (23%) saying it has prompted them to spend more money than usual on experiences and outdoor activities.
Of these, 56% are prioritising spending on day trips, and half are buying more food and drink than normal to enjoy barbecues and picnics with friends and family.
However, British consumers remain cautious about the broader economic picture with confidence in household finances dropping six percentage points from June to 59% last month.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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